October 2014- Issue 20

Home Matters Supporting People Ltd

Hello to all of our reader’s, we’ve enjoyed the summer months;; With our day trip, barbeque and the weekly walking group with the odd ice cream or cuppa to help us on our way! Now the nights are drawing in it’s time to prepare for

autumn and winter events and celebrations. We have another bumper edition of our newsletter for you to read and invite you to take some time, pop the kettle on and enjoy

your read. We hope you’ll find something to make you smile, think and reflect on activities gone and also to join us in the planning of future events and activities during

the coming months.

Allison Mulraney (Support Worker)

Our Barbeque Consultation Event

During the summer on Wednesday 6th August when the weather was glorious which may seem like a long time ago now!

We had a Barbeque at the office. It was the best turn out yet with 60 plus people attending. We all had a lovely day with all the clients and staff together chatting and playing games in the sun. We

had some lovely food, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chips, and Hot Pork Sandwiches, followed by a big selection of Cakes.

By Vanessa Camm

Hello! My name is Doreen Mottram and I have recently started working at Home Matters. I work within the mental health team and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Everyone I have met so far have been so friendly and helpful. When I’m away from work, I help my Mom by doing odd jobs for her and taking her shopping as she is 82 years old and finds it hard to get around. I have three young Grandsons and another one on the way soon which keeps me busy. I enjoy listening to music. My favourites are Abba and anything Motown! I also enjoy going to the theatre too when l have time! Thank you to everyone for making me so welcome and I look forward to meeting the rest of the people I’ve not had chance to meet yet.

I am Judith Emery and I started working with Home Matters mental health team back in August of this year. I have been working in the care sector since leaving school in many different areas. I have two children who have both now moved out into their own homes. I also have two dogs Daisy and Gertie, both Staffies whom I adore. Although it makes me wonder why at times when I plant flowers in the garden for them to pull them all out again, my patience is stretched, believe me! I enjoy watching films, eating out, going to the theatre and listening to music. In my younger days I was a fan of motown and northern soul but I enjoy listening to most things nowadays. At the moment I am really interested in DIY ‘not doing it’ of course but supervising other people to do it. I am really enjoying working for Home Matters and look forward to meeting the few people I have left to meet.

Hi Everybody, I’m Geraldine but everyone calls me Gel! I live locally with my partner Glynn and I have five, yes FIVE sons aged from 9 to 25. I am a school governor and a very busy mum, feeding, washing and picking up after the boys as well as ferrying them to football, kickboxing and swimming. Oh, and if my life was not busy enough, I also have to walk my two dogs called Poppy and Rosie who are my only female company at home! I’ve been working with the dementia team for nearly three months now and I’m really enjoying meeting and spending time with you all.

Hi, I’m Dave and I’ve recently joined this fabulous team as a support worker. I’ve learnt a lot from my first couple of months and have felt thoroughly welcomed by everybody. So a bit about me, I’m 30 and I’m originally from the south though I am trying to learn Black Country as quick as I can. I’ve been married for 5 years and I’m also a student studying youth and community work. I’m very sporty and enjoy keeping fit by running, cycling and playing football. On the subject of football I also support the world’s greatest football team- Tottenham Hotspur! I play both chess and snooker regularly and also love to cook, chilli con carne is a particular speciality of mine. I also enjoy listening to classic rock music and watching films, especially thrillers with a twist in the tale! I’m very sociable and love meeting new people.

Our Trip to Weston Super- Mare

On Wednesday 9th July, about 30 of us from Home Matters went to Western Super – Mare for the day. When we arrived there we had a walk along the sea front on our way to have some lunch in a Fish and Chip shop in the town. The weather was lovely and while some of the others went into the Arcade I sat on a little bench outside and waited for them to come back to me. After they had come out of the Arcade we went and had a look around the town. Then we went back onto the sea front, we sat on the wall watching the world go by until it was time for us to get back into the cars and onto the minibus to go back home. It was a very enjoyable day for all of us.

Home Matters Women’s Group

Home Matters will be holding a women’s group open to all females within our service.

The group will be once or twice monthly. The first group will be held on the 15th

October at The Office and the following groups will be out in the community doing

things of interest, such as shopping or going for lunch. So come along for a natter with the ladies, you never know you might find

something that really interests you!

Abi’s Garden vs. Marcus’ Kitchen From the Garden to the Table Hi, my names Abi and, if you know me, you know I love to grow my own veg. Marcus loves to bake – so in each edition, Marcus and I have decided that I will challenge him to bake with some of the fresh produce that I have grown in my garden! This edition, I have challenged Marcus to use Beetroot – I love Beetroot, it’s very good for you, and is in fact an all singing and dancing super food! So, let’s see what Marcus comes up with! Hi, its Marcus here. I have decided to take Abi up on her challenge and this is what I am going to bake with the lovely beetroot she has grown: - Chocolate Beetroot Muffin Cakes (Makes approximately 12 muffins) Preparation time – 30 minutes Cooking time – between 30 minutes and 1 hour

Ingredients

x 75g/2.5 oz cocoa powder or powder drinking chocolate x 180g/6.5 oz plain flour x 2 teaspoons baking power x 250g/8.5 oz caster sugar x 250g/8.5 oz cooked beetroot x 2 large eggs x 200ml corn oil x 1 tsp vanilla extract x Icing sugar for dusting

Method 1) Preheat the oven to 180°C/355F/gas 4. 2) Sift the cocoa powder, flour & baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the sugar & set aside. 3) Puree the beetroot in a food processor, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla & oil & blend until smooth. 4) Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beetroot mixture & lightly mix. Pour into the muffin cases. 5) Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is firm when lightly pressed. 6) Cool on a wire rack & dust with icing sugar to serve. Marcus’ Challenge! How did they turn out? – Well after having one at the Macmillan Coffee Morning I can honestly say they were delightful, above is a picture of Abi handing the Beetroot from her Garden over to Marcus, as well as the finished product. You can also see Allyson is enjoying tucking into one... as they say; the proof is in the pudding!

By Abigail Day & Marcus J Butler

Fancy a day trip? Why not book with Greenline Coaches

Why not have a trip out on an autumn day there are many to choose from, all available at a reasonable cost:

Blackpool Illuminations, Sat 18th Oct (1hour tour) £19

Weston Illuminated Carnival, Fri 7th Nov £20

London- Sight Seeing/ Shopping/ Theatre, Sat 15th Nov £22

Worcester Christmas Market, Sun 30th Nov £15

There are many more trips available also short holiday breaks available.

If you would like more options or further details contact Green line via:

Telephone 01384 444464 or Email greenlinecoaches@aol.com

Lakeside Animal Centre

On Thursday 17th July, I went with Laura, Louise and Ian to the Lakeside Animal Centre in Telford. To see the Animals, they had Wallabies, Rabbits, Meerkats, two Sheep, two Goats, an Emu and a huge Pig. When we had looked around the Centre we were able to feed the Wallabies by hand, they were so dainty the way they ate their food with their little hands, two of the Rabbits had to be kept in their own cages on their own because they kept picking on the other smaller Rabbits, the little bullies. After we had stopped off and had some lunch in the Cafe, we were able to go and see the little Meerkats, in the building next door to the Cafe, it had to be kept at a certain temperature inside the building because they have to be kept warm, so it was very hot inside the building. The little Meerkats used us as staging posts, they climbed all over us, their little claws stuck into our arms and legs, when you fed them, they were a bit naughty, they had a little scrap over their food, and they growled at each other a bit. I think we all had a lovely time; I know I enjoyed myself very much.

Vanessa Camm

I am a new client to Home Matters and they have provided me with excellent service and excellent support. I have settled in really well and the staff are really nice. I have started to do a range of activities within the services both with my staff and independently. I have made new friends within the service and l get on with my housemate really well.

Paul Butler

P U M P K I N P C W F T

C H I E T B Z O A I R R

B V A Y P X Y T U T A I

K T A L D A W I L C N C

A Z F M L Z C O D H K, K

S O I A P O E N R F E O

R M D T R I W S O G N R

E B O P S C R E N H S T

D I K T J M H E E I T R

I E A L S R O C Q N E E

P B N M T W Y O T X I A

S D R A C U L A R I N T

G H O S T S T O M B W Y

Words to find

Pumpkin, Ghosts, Trick or treat, Vampire, Zombie, Witch, Broomstick, cauldron, Cape, Tomb, Cob webs, Spiders,

Corpse, Halloween, Bats, Dracula, Frankenstein, Potions, Witchcraft, Black Cat

Liverpool Trip by Kevin Jakeman

On the 2nd September I went for a day trip to Liverpool with Woodside day centre the weather was lovely and warm.

We left Dudley at about 8:30 and arrived in Liverpool about 11:30 we got off the coach by Albert Docks. We had a walk round by the big wheel and round the front of the river Mersey.

We also went around the shops in the docks; we stopped to have a coffee and carried on window shopping. I went into one shop to buy fridge magnets for Michael.

While in Liverpool we took time to explore the town centre the museum. After a busy day we took some time to sit in the gardens admiring the scenery and people watching. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and would recommend a trip to Liverpool.

Scottish Independence

The Scots vote on September 18th whether to pull out of Britain. The Scot who wants to pull out of Britain is Alex Salmond and the one who wants to stay in is Alistair Darling.

Shrewsbury

Recently I went to Shrewsbury for the day. The weather was warm and we had a great day. We stopped off at Iron Bridge on the way back. I really enjoyed it and recommend visiting there.

By Mark Turley

Local Hobby Club

Do you feel like engaging in a new hobby within your local community?

Amblecote Christian Centre are running a Hobbies Club and invite you to join them, they run a range of different groups.

Hobbies include:

Photography

Knitting

Art/painting

Chess

All activities are held in a friendly, relaxed environment. For further details, times and dates you can call the centre on; 01384 370365

Hello to all my friends at Home Matters,

I would like you all to know I am happy and settled in my new home, making new friends. I enjoy regular visits from my family at home Matters, I hope you are all well. Please join me in a prayer.

Dear Lord in heaven,

Almighty god and creator,

We give thanks for the many blessings,

You pour down upon us, each day.

Thank you lord, for our health and strength,

We receive from you each day, to do your work.

Amen

Your friend John Chilton

Mapping Success of the Wildlife supporters

1. In Colombia new turtle sanctuary of species critically endangered marine turtle have a new safe haven.

2. UK, Waves of support for new marine conservation zones are to be created in English seas.

3. Poland, forest victory: 20% Redd+ will tackle 20% of global carbon emissions, caused by forest loss.

4. Arctic, Polar bear protection: 42,000 people signed our online petition to help protect polar bears.

5. Kyrgyzstan, snow leopard summit: 12 Asian countries have made a historic pledge to save snow leopards.

6. Russia, Western gray whale success: thanks to where there`s WWF there`s hope & in 2017 a proposed oil platform that threatened western gray whales has been delayed until at least 2017.

By Marcus J Butler

Hi, my names Martyn Hughes, I am new to the service and I am really enjoying the support I am getting. I have set a goal to go to the driving range as I used to enjoy golf but had to stop through a back injury and lack of opportunity. Laura is going to support me to go on Friday 24th October and I am hoping that some of you would like to join us come and have a laugh, try something new and laugh at Laura trying to hit the ball!

We know many of you enjoy going to the theatre to watch your favourite shows. Well this year is the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s 120th Year Anniversary. Therefore to celebrate the ongoing success of the theatre they are showing a large amount of shows including many favourites such as; Dirty Dancing, Oliver, Top Hat, Thriller, Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Full Monty, ABBA Mania and Swan Lake.

You can access more information or book tickets by visiting the website; grandtheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01902 429212

THE ROAD TO WELLBEING

The Road to Well Being is a tool for managing stress of everyday life produced by the Public Mental Health Team. They provide different resources in order to help you recognise stress and help manage and deal with it. They promote five ways to well being these are;

Connect- being involved with friends, family and others in your community.

Be Active- i.e. go for a walk or do some gardening.

Take Notice- Take time out from your daily routine to do something pleasant which you enjoy.

Keep Learning- Try something different or start learning a new skill which could increase your confidence and give you a sense of achievement.

Give- Do something nice for somebody which can be rewarding and lead to making you feel valued.

You can receive a free copy of their booklet or CD by contacting 01384 816284 or emailing; roadtorelaxtion@dudley.gov.uk. Which includes how to identify stress, managing techniques and how to deal with problem situations.

Stourbridge College

I started an adult literature course at Stourbridge College in September. I have a good understanding of the work in class and subject matter of the course, but l am quite slow at doing the work and have a lot of work to catch up on. However the teacher said not to worry about it. I will have time to catch up on the work and later on the course. I am really enjoying the course.

There are many adult learning courses available at various community venues within the Dudley Borough. You can look at the prospectus to see what courses are available to you on the adult community learning website www.dudley.gov.uk/adultlearning or you can contact them for more details on 01384 818143

Paul Butler

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is facilitated by The Mental Health Foundation and this year’s theme is Schizophrenia.

Creative Support will be hosting town events in Dudley Borough on Friday 10th October:

Friday 10th October 10.00am-4.00pm at The Cornbow Shopping Centre, Halesowen

Friday 10th October 1.30pm- 2.30pm and 3.00pm- 4.00pm at Insight House, Pearson Street, DY5 3BL

Please contact the Dudley Office on 01384 896737 for more information.

Fraud Protection

Protect yourself against telephone scams

Beware of fraudsters who are duping savers into transferring money out of their accounts. These criminals claim to be from your bank, building society or credit card provider. They call their victims and tell them their account has been compromised and they need to transfer funds immediately to a ‘safe account’ that they have set up for you. They may even tell you to call your financial provider back to verify their call. However, they keep the telephone line open so that victims are reconnected to the criminals. Once the money is received in the ‘safe account’ the fraudsters have full access to it and it disappears very quickly. To stay safe follow this advice;

- Beware of anyone who calls you unexpectedly saying you have been the victim of fraud and advising you to move money into another account.

- If you’re unsure about a telephone call you’ve received from your bank or building society, check it out. Always make sure the telephone line is clear before you call your bank or building society back. You can do this by waiting a few minutes or by phoning a friend or relative first. Better still use a different phone if you have one.

- Never transfer money to an account you don’t recognise. Banks will never ask you to do this.

- If you have any concerns about your account, visit or contact your local branch.

Food for thought by Lisa Dowen

To be beautiful means to be yourself, you don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself!

Loving ourselves isn’t an event. It’s an endless moment by moment ongoing process.

Learn to love yourself -

Royal Baby (No. 2) Sweep Stake

GUESS THE DATE OF THE BABY’S BIRTH 50p

GUESS THE SEX OF THE BABY 50p

GUESS THE WEIGHT OF THE BABY 50p

The Winner takes half of the sweepstake and the other half goes to Macmillan

Cancer Support.

Place your bets with staff at the office!

Macmillan Coffee Morning

This year’s home matters coffee morning was another great success. We actually raised a staggering £130.00 beating last year’s sum of £95.00. The total raised by Macmillan so far is £8,718,863.00 this figure may continue to rise.

A big thank you to everyone who baked or donated the lovely cakes, also thanks to everyone who kindly came along and devoured many slices of cake, pies and puddings! Has anyone decided

to diet as a result of the event?

Pictured is our winner of guess the number of coffee shots; as a bit of fun and all about raising

money for such a worthwhile cause, we decided to award the winner with an equally fun prize. Marcus

was overwhelmed and delighted to show off his winner mask, a tin of baked beans and a toilet roll.

We are looking forward to next year’s coffee morning;; let’s see if we can reach £175.00

STOPtober

Many smokers want to quit but aren’t sure about the best way to go about it.

Stop smoking for 28 days and you are 5 times more likely to stop for good. For the people who would like to quit whether it is for your health, for your family/friends or to save money, there

are many free support tools that can help you on your journey to stopping smoking.

So give it a go, try not smoking for 28 days because when it comes to stopping smoking the only thing stopping you stopping is the fact that you can’t stop, so stop stopping yourself

stopping to stop.

You can join the challenge by visiting the Stoptober website; www.stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk

Isle of Wight Trip

I, Marcus Butler & my housemate David Totney are going away for 5 days & 4 nights to the Isle of Wight on a coach trip on the 10th – 14th of October 2014. We will be picked up outside Dudley Zoo between 9 & 9.45am, by Dachau Coaches. Which I booked online with them paid mine & David’s deposit, then paid the rest directly to Dachau Coach Holidays on the telephone. We are both looking forward to the holiday, we will be staying in the area of Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, and hopefully the weather is nice for us.

By M J Butler

Movember

The Movember foundation is a leading organisation to changing the face of men`s health. Movember community has raised £346 million to date over 800

programmes in 21 countries improving the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer & mental health problems. Movember foundation

challenges men to grow moustaches during movember (November) Which will carry on & won`t stop growing as long as serious men`s health issues exist. To have a go for charity guys take action by signing up with a clean- shaven face & for the 30 days of November commit to growing moustache, guys doing this are

known as Mo Bros.

So guys, we hope you’ll all have a go and see who can grow the best moustache!

My First Trip to Iceland

In the second week of May I went on my first holiday to Iceland. Around last year I had decided to visit my Trinidad and Tobago friend. He himself suffers with mild mental health problems but he has moved comfortably into Icelandic society. He recently married an Icelandic woman.

It was indeed during the May climate mild weather. In the mornings there was evidently times to wear a warm rain coat and during the evenings it was milder and there were obviously times to just wear a t-shirt.

Fortunately, I discovered an economically inexpensive hotel on a British website ‘Secret Escapes’. I found it a very friendly and comfortable hotel called Hotel Keflavík. This wonderful hotel was situated in a small town called Keflavík, which was not that far from the Reykjavik International Airport.

There were indeed plenty of opportunities to partake in many activities, nonetheless, however I’ve regrettably got financial concerns and some worthwhile adventures where I was out of pocket. I also had plenty of time to swim in the local outdoor swimming baths and then thereafter to take a worthwhile break in their hot tubs.

I also had seen the inspirational futuristic architecture of the main Reykavik Cathdral, which one could picture has an ethereal space ship. Meantime, whilst in Reyjavik I partook in Indian and Chinese meals.

Fortunately, I also had time to visit the University of Reykjavik’s main library and do some geographical research, where I met my Icelandic friend by the libraries entrance.

The trip was utterly beautiful scenic views such as geysirs, volcanoes and mighty glaciers and one could clearly be mistaken with the rigorous geographical sights that could be in the famous authors Tolkiens ’The Hobbit’. I did visit the majestically beautiful ‘Blue Lagoon’ and the waters were naturally kept warm by the volcanic thermal heating from the lava under the ground.

I could obviously recommend this holiday to my colleagues and friends although one problematic reason more people don’t travel there is the prices and expenses of day to day living, where the food can be expensive due to the reason of importing most of their foods one meal could cost roughly around £40.

However, if people are not afraid of the costs for a once of a life time holiday, it is really worthwhile and I wish to travel there once again; money permitting.

By Michael Burson

Gardening Matters!

Ever thought that gardening could change the way you feel? Ask any gardener why they enjoy gardening and time and again they will say that it “makes them feel good”. Could you find the feel-good factor with gardening too? - Gardening can help you get back on top of things and restore balance when it feels like your life is veering out of control. Gardening can help you to feel happier, more confident and healthier. – Not sure where to start, don’t worry – just follow these hints and tips and you too could soon be a keen gardener!

What to plant in September! Sow direct into the ground:

x Spring Cabbage Seeds directly in to well dug over and fertilized soil, Onion Sets, Late varieties of Peas, Spinach, Turnips, & (last chance to sow) - Spring Onions and Radishes.

Sow in trays or pots in Greenhouses or on a windowsill. x Alternatively sow Spring Cabbage seeds into seed trays or pots; Cauliflowers into seed trays;

sow pots of spinach in your greenhouses for over winter picking, Winter lettuces, Radishes, Salad Leaves,

Container growing x Winter lettuces, Radishes, Salad Leaves; Spinach

What to plant out x Spring cabbage, and winter Cauliflowers’. – (that you started in your greenhouse).

What needs you attention x If you find that your tomatoes are starting to get black bottoms – don’t panic! – Your plant is

not in danger – it just means you have been giving your tomatoes to much tomato food. So water regularly and stop the feeding for a while – remove all tomatoes that may be affected and you should continue to have a good crop.

What can be harvested for you to, reap the benefits of all your own hard work: x Beetroot, Summer Cabbages, Summer Cauliflowers, Carrots, Courgettes, Cucumbers, Endive,

French Beans, Onions and Shallots, late Peas, main crop of Potatoes; Radishes, Runner Beans - (or Kidney Beans depends what you call them) Salad Leaves, Spinach, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes.

What to plant during, Oct - Feb Sow direct into the ground:

x October & November – You can sow an early variety of broad beans – sowing them at this time, will mean that your plants will not be attacked by black fly – which do love the broad bean plant. Oct – sow your Garlic cloves.

Sow in trays or pots in Greenhouses or on a windowsill. x Spinach can be planted in a warm greenhouse all through the winter, Sow summer cabbages

starting in February in a warm greenhouse in pots. Early Peas can be sown in Dec – Jan in a heated greenhouse into pots to start the growing process off.

Container growing x Spinach – in a greenhouse. Any carrot tubs that you have planted and are still to be

harvested ensure that you bring into the green house. Any tubs of Mint also bring into a greenhouse.

What can be harvested for you to, reap the benefits of all your own hard work: x Beetroot, Brussels Sprout’s can be harvested from late Nov – onwards as and when you

require them. Carrots can still be harvested and any that you have grown in pots – can be harvested throughout the winter months. Winter Cabbage, Kidney beans you may get one last harvest off them – (but remember when you take down your wigwams to leave the

x plant in the ground to rot over winter and this will replenish your soil with the nutrients that the plants took out while growing.) Leeks can be harvested all through the winter months, Spinach can be harvested all year round, Swedes & turnips can be harvested usually until the first frost.

Jobs that need to be done in and around the Garden over winter. 9 Round up all pots, labels, and canes that have become scattered during the growing season,

and clean & dry them thoroughly, before storing them tidily away. 9 Fit a grease band to any fruit trees that you have to protect your tree from insect damage. 9 Collect and save any seeds that you may use next year. Peas, Broad Beans, Kidney Beans,

squash and pumpkin seeds or marigold seeds, poppy seeds sunflower seeds. – Ensure that you leave them to dry in a warm place before putting them into clean envelopes and label them with the year.

9 If you have an abundance of crops, save it for the winter by blanching it in boiling water for a few minutes, then immerse in cold water leave to cool and bag it and freeze it.

How to recycle while gardening. Gardening does not need to cost a fortune – you can grow your plants in almost anything that you would normally throw away. Below are a few pictures to illustrate this point.

A – Tin cans – just remember to get someone who is handy with a hammer and nail to podge a few holes into the bottom for you; for drainage.

B – Toilet roll inserts, Newspaper pots and Egg Cartons- As the tubes have no bottoms, fill them up with compost and place in a tray. They don’t require drainage holes but keep the cardboard moist. As the tubes are bio-degradable you can plant the whole thing. You can make good pots one out of newspaper. Fold a sheet of newspaper around the bottom part of a jar with an extra bit sticking below the bottom. Tuck and fold the extra bit over the jar base and press down, giving a couple of twists. Place the paper pots in a tray and fill with compost. Use them just like the toilet tubes, planting out in the same way. Egg Cartons can be filled with compost and can be used to sow seeds or growing on small seedlings. Or used to chit you potatoes. As these are bio-degradable, just separate, & use like the toilet tubes, planting out in the same way.

C - Coffee Cups - These can either be cardboard or plastic. Make drainage holes in the base and use like any other plant pot. These are mostly non bio-degradable, so tip out your seedling before planting. Many of the stronger cups can be used over again.

D - Wellington Boots - Old wellington Boots make a fantastic flower pot. Ensure that you get someone to who is handy with a drill to drill some drainage hole in the bases, fill halfway up with pebbles to weigh the boot down fill with soil, and then plant your flowers, and hey presto you have fancy flower pots. Gardening Hints and Tips!

9 Rich in calcium carbonate, dried egg shells work as a great natural fertilizer. Crush them up, then throw them onto your garden to enrich the soil.

9 Chamomile tea is great for keeping your plants healthy. Use it when watering to ward off bacterial and fungal infections, just make sure the tea is completely cold before using it.

9 Place Geraniums upside down in cardboard box.....cover with newspaper and store in a garage. Do not let plants freeze. Leave them in the box 'till spring when you replant them. The plant will start growing new leaves within a week. Do not cut any stems away for at least 6 weeks, your plant will double in size.

Hope this helps and inspires you to have a go. It’s easier than it first might sound. – Next Month I shall look out jobs that need be done in your Garden. Remember - ‘Gardening Matters’. Abigail Day.

Voluntary Work

Hello my name is Marcus J Butler I have started voluntary work with Home matters support Dementia CIC and am really enjoying it. I have been on a trip to Bewdley with the Dementia clients and enjoyed the experience and challenge. On Thursday I will be making a bread plait from home and will show it to the clients that day. We meet at the Office from 10.30am to 1.00pm. We have a group on a Thursday morning where we have a sing along, play games and make food which both I and the clients really enjoy. When I go to Woodside I also use their kitchen to do activities, I will show them how to make bread and cakes between 1.45pm and 4.00pm this is something I enjoy doing baking and making bread and cakes. I am happy to share my skills and knowledge with others.

By M J Butler

Cinema Club

Calling All Film Lovers

Join me for a monthly cinema club... starting soon!

- Meeting at Merry Hill Odeon Cinema - Meet in the entrance way at 6.30pm - £8.70 Adult Ticket, 3D Films £2.00 extra (*Prices may change) - Decide what film to watch on arrival - Clients to travel independently there and back

2014 dates

Wednesday 29th October Wednesday 26th November Wednesday 17th December

Charlotte Marles Community Support Worker

If anyone has any articles for our next newsletter which will be our Christmas Edition; Please send them to Minty Walwyn at The Barn 82A Park Road, Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 2HP, Email minty@hmsp-ltd.co.uk or pass them onto staff to be brought in.

Christmas Preparation

Christmas may seem a long way off but it`s time to start buying your ingredients for making cakes & mince pies, the time to start buying

Christmas cards & think about presents for people. We also need to book our Christmas party and would love to hear your ideas and suggestions of

places we could go for our meal on Thursday 18th December.